ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · pop · net · shower · mark · bank · mate · current

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. current — of water
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mate — to breed
  5. net — in sport
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bank — of a river
  8. net — for catching
  9. row — a line
  10. current — happening now
  11. pop — soda
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mate — a friend
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mark — a trace
  17. current — electric
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mate — a partner
  20. shower — rain
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com